Saratoga teen’s Circus Smirkus dreams come true

Circus Smirkus’ big top will once again pop up at the Saratoga Race Course Monday and Tuesday as part of the award-winning traveling youth circus’ 25th anniversary tour.

Among the more than two dozen youth swinging, juggling and bouncing about the big top will be 15-year-old Keenan Wright-Sanson of Saratoga Springs. A student at the Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs, Wright-Sanson has spent the last several weeks training in Vermont for the 2012 production, “Topsy Turvy Time Travel!” Wright-Sanson took 10 minutes from his busy circus training schedule to speak to us.

Q: How did you become involved in the circus?
A: My brother (a unicyclist) was in it for 5 years before me. I decided it was something I really wanted to do. So I tried out and I got in. It just looked really, really fun. I had gone to the camp a couple years before and knew it was something I wanted to do.

Q: What acts are you involved in?
A: I’m in ladders, trampoline and unicycle. Ladders is when two ladders are set up, vertically and parallel, and several climb up and make pyramids. The trampoline is most just bouncing and choreography, no props.

Q: What is your circus specialty?
A: My specialty is slack line. It’s like the tightrope only bouncy and it can be set at any height.

Q: How often do you train?
A: Not as often as I wish I could have during the school year because I row during the year six days a week. Three days before school ended I came here to start training. There are 29 other performers (ages 10-18)including me. We wake up, have breakfast, train until lunch, have lunch, train until dinner, have dinner and after dinner we train some more, than hang out for about 10 minutes and go to bed.
Q: How long is the tour?
A: Seven weeks long and travels throughout New England and New York.

Q: What do you enjoy most about circus life?
A: I like training with a whole group of kids who are all here to do the same thing. They want to be here unlike school where they are kind of made to be there.

Q: When you aren’t traveling and clowning around what do you like to do?
A: I love rowing. At school I like math and science.

Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
A: 20 years old.

Q: Is this a career move?
A: I love it. I don’t quite know . I just love it.

Q: Is this a one-summer thing or do you plan to stick with it as long as you can?
A: I definitely plan to stick with it.

Q: Do you regret sacrificing your summer for the circus?
A: Nope not at all.

Q: Do you expect to see friends and family in the crowd when the tour comes to Saratoga?
A: Lots, I hope. My mom and dad are actually the ones who put it on in Saratoga. It’s a fundraiser for the Waldorf School and they are really involved.

Q: What can we expect to see in “Topsy Turvy Time Travel!”?
A: Cowboys, cows, a space landing, different themes from history, just about everything.

Circus Smirkus performances are set for 1 and 7 p.m. both Monday and Tuesday. Tickets are $20 for adults and $17 for children. More information can be found at http://www.smirkus.org or by calling (877)-SMIRKUS.